Interview with RUKI from the GazettE

Ten years into their formation, the GazettE has spread their influence far and wide, capturing the hearts of fans in their homeland and beyond. As their latest album DIVISION makes its way into the hands of fans in Europe, JaME brings you an interview with vocalist RUKI about DIVISION, the band's recent tours and thoughts about the future.

First of all, congratulations on your tenth anniversary celebration in March. How did you feel during THE DECADE live?

RUKI: One word: thankfulness. In Japan, it’s not easy to maintain one band for ten years. I owe my freedom of expression to our fans and staff who have supported us throughout the years … and I realized that once again at that concert.

Your very first release was titled Wakaremichi, which means parting roads. Ten years later, you release an album called DIVISION, which also evokes this idea of splitting. Is this album a way to mark a new ten-year era?

RUKI: Wow, I’ve never realized the coincidence! (laughs) Well, we did not intend to correspond with our first single, but we did have a concept to roughly divide the musicality of the GazettE in two.

Could you explain to us the concept of this new album? From where did you draw your inspiration this time?

RUKI: We wanted to redefine what “MADE IN JAPAN” is all about. We also wanted to show that the world of the GazettE is a whole package, with album cover and other visuals and all, so we want to expand our release to many more countries.

The new album will entirely consist of new material. What possibility does it give when you don’t have to include your singles on the album?

RUKI: We thought it boring to follow the album-after-single routine, which is like a manualized thing in Japan. So we released the album this way this time.

Since the beginning of your career, your works have always mixed a lot of musical influences. Are there music styles or tones you have not explored yet but want to?

RUKI: I don’t see anything particular at this time, but I’m interested in ethnic music.

the GazettE was formed ten years ago. Back then, what did you imagine the GazettE would be like ten years after?

RUKI: I’ve never imagined myself doing a band for ten years! (laughs)

If you could travel in time and meet yourselves from the past, what would you like to say to yourselves?

RUKI: I’ll probably tell myself to stay as I am.

Is there anything you would like experience again or anything you would like to change?

RUKI: Nothing in particular, but if I should mention one, I want to be more avid in everything.

It was your goal and dream to perform at the Tokyo Dome. After achieving it, what is your next dream place to perform at? Do you want to back to the Tokyo Dome?

RUKI: It would be great if we could perform again at a venue with a capacity as large as Tokyo Dome, but Tokyo Dome itself is not the nicest venue in acoustic terms. So there are things to think about.

The Tokyo Dome live was the end of the Nameless Liberty era. Have you found it? If not, will you start searching for it again?

RUKI: There’s no end to the nameless liberty itself. It is one of our eternal themes.

You will have a very busy schedule before the release of your new album, in particular with the Standing Tour 2012. What are the main differences between creating a song in the studio and creating a song when you are touring?

RUKI: During the tour, we cannot concentrate on making music, so it gets into shape slower. On the other hand, we can concentrate on it in the studio. That’s the difference.

You will start a fanclub tour titled HETERODOXY in July and then embark on a tour called GROAN OF DIPLOSOMIA in October. Can you explain to us the meaning of these tours titles which are quite unusual? What can fans expect from these tours?

RUKI: HETERODOXY stems from HERESY. We named this upcoming tour GROAN OF DIPLOSOMIA implying that all the scattered things in DIVISION and our previous works are linked together to form one creature.

The tour DIPLOSOMIA is stamped as “01.” Does this mean there will be more tours coming up? Do you plan to include overseas locations on your schedule? If yes, where would you like to go?

RUKI: We do have, although a few, some additional shows as “02.” As for overseas, we wish to go to every country where there are needs for the GazettE.

For the GazettE, do social networking sites help you get closer to your fans?

RUKI: While I do not feel the fans are closer or further, I feel their voices reaching us more directly. So as for myself, I feel myself close to them.

Are you involved in any creative projects beside music?

RUKI: I’m not too much into anything, but I do feel like making some visual art as a hobby.

What can we wish you for the future?

RUKI: I think we’ll be pursuing more kicks and stimulations. Look forward to our next moves, as we are heading in another direction.

Do you have a message for your fans?

RUKI: We see many people coming from Europe to Japan to see us, so we feel that it’s our turn to visit you now. Have your fingers crossed and thank you always for your support and messages!

JaME would like to thank the GazettE and JPU Records for making this interview possible.